Featuring four iconic new races from the Warhammer Fantasy Battles world – the High Elves, Dark Elves, Lizardmen, and The Skaven – players will battle across enchanted isles, bleak hinterlands, treacherous swamps, and perilous jungles.

In a Total War campaign like no other, players will struggle for dominion over the ailing Great Vortex that has swirled for millennia above the elven homeland of Ulthuan. Performing a series of arcane rituals, each race must save or disrupt the Vortex according to their motivations – a struggle culminating in a cataclysmic endgame. Territorial conquest is no longer enough… this is a race for control that will define the fate of the world!

Total War: Warhammer II will offer hundreds of hours of immersive gameplay in this epic new campaign.

Shortly after launch, owners of both the original game and Total War: Warhammer II will gain access to the colossal new combined campaign. Merging the landmasses of The Old World plus Naggaroth, Lustria, Ulthuan and the Southlands into a single epic map, players may embark on monumental campaigns as any owned Race from both titles.

Throughout the lands of Avelorn, the very presence of Everqueen Alarielle brings great joy and tranquillity to the Elven havens. Yet across the Great Ocean in the dark lands of Naggaroth, something wicked stirs. The Hag-Queen, Crone Hellebron, in a storm of jealous rage, leads forth a murderous army of Dark Elves, to extinguish all beauty from the world.

So it is in this time of grave peril that Alarielle will take to the battlefield, for only she can vanquish this darkness and defend Ulthuan from the depredations of the impure.  

Due for release on May 31st, The Queen & The Crone is currently available to pre-order at a 10% discount from SEGA approved digital retailers.

Two new Legendary Lords…

…with new quest chains, magic items and skill trees
New campaign mechanics and objectives
New Hero type for High Elves
New Lord type for Dark Elves
New battlefield units for both races
16 elite Regiments of Renown

Background

Only in times of the grave peril does Alarielle the Everqueen, the living embodiment of Isha, take to the battlefield. Her eternal duty: to defend Ulthuan and its residents from the depredations of the impure. With a rallying cry, she is joined by the Handmaidens, the Sisters of Avelorn, and the spirits of the woods themselves!

Meanwhile, dark acts are afoot in Naggaroth. Crone Hellebron stirs in Har Ganeth, and calls a Blood Night: the slaves are released upon the streets and slaughtered in their thousands. Bathing in the rivers of spilled blood, Hellebron’s powers are magnified beyond belief, with Doomfire Warlocks and Sisters of Slaughter flocking to her banner. The Asur will pay for their eternal treachery – and imminently!

New Legendary Lords

Alarielle the Radiant

Commanding the High Elf faction of Avelorn, Alarielle’s power is that of nature itself. As she travels through the Elven lands, she brings great joy to the people, improving public order and reducing corruption. However, she is also subject to the Mortal World’s Torment; as Chaos seeps into the world, her battlefield powers wane. Only reducing and ridding of Chaos armies will return her to her full powers.

Alarielle is a mixed-lore Caster, with access to a blend of Life magic and High magic. She may embark on a quest for her Legendary Item, the Star of Avelorn, and may be upgraded to ride an Elven Steed, Barded Ithilmar Steed, and a Great Eagle. She can also recruit Forest Spirit units such as Dryads, Treekin and Treemen.

Alarielle also has a unique campaign mechanic called Defender of Ulthuan. It is her sacred duty to see that the inner and outer territories of the High Elves’ home are kept free of enemy occupation. While they remain clear, they bestow powerful benefits. Should invaders sully Ulthuan with their presence however, the Asur’s trust in Alarielle will fall, bringing a suite of negative effects.

Alarielle has access to a unique Rite: The Invocation of Lileath. Once active, this rite brings a suite of benefits to Handmaidens, Sisters of Avelorn and Dryads.

Crone Hellebron

Hellebron the Hag-Queen leads the forces of Har Ganeth, a uniquely murderous Dark Elf faction. She may periodically call a Death Night, expending slaves on a night of murderous rampage, to keep her powers strong. Failure to regularly hold these festivals will have a detrimental effect on Hellebron. As each Death Night is called, nearby Dark Elves undertake the Blood Voyage, raising an army in thrall to Crone Hellebron, and in whose post-battle rewards she shares.

Hellebron gains massive upkeep reductions to Witch Elves and Har Ganeth Executioners and Sisters of Slaughter, which she can also improve via her unique skill tree. She may embark on a quest for her twinned Legendary weapons, the Deathsword and the Cursed Blade, and may be upgraded to ride a Dark Steed, a Cauldron of Blood, and a Manticore.

Hellebron also has access to a unique new Dark Elf rite: Sacrifice to Drakira. Once active, this rite brings bonuses when fighting High Elves, a reduction in diplomatic relations with High Elves, and rank bonuses to both Death Hags and Witch Elf units.

Unique Units

Sisters of Avelorn (Alarielle)
Among Alarielle’s most loyal warriors, the Sisters of Avelorn are dual-role combatants, skilled with both blade and bow. Their Bows of Avelorn deal Magical Flaming attacks, and like many High Elf units, they are subject to Martial Prowess.

Shadow Warriors (Alarielle)
The first (and often last!) clue a foe gets to the presence of the Shadow Warriors is a ravaging hail of arrows tearing into their ranks. With Vanguard Deployment, Stalk, and long-range bows, they can remain undetected while raining death from afar. They are also Master Ambushers, enabling them to stay hidden on the move, in any terrain, while firing in any direction.

Sisters of Slaughter (Hellebron)
These murderous gladiators of death wield cruel lash-whips dealing poisonous attacks. They also cause Fear, are subject to Murderous Mastery, and can trigger the Trial of Blades augment when losing in melee, improving their combat abilities.

Doomfire Warlocks (Hellebron)
These elite, magical cavalry are very fast moving, and deal both Magical and Poisonous attacks in melee. They are subject to Murderous Prowess, and may cast two Bound Spells: Soulblight and Lesser Doombolt.

Unique Hero: Handmaiden (Alarielle)
Handmaidens act as the right hand of Alarielle. They have several unique specialisations available in their skill trees, enabling them to influence diplomacy, trade and influence, to bolster their resilience in battle, and to make them peerless archers.

Unique Lord: Supreme Sorceress (Hellebron)
Hellebron can field new caster Lords to lead her armies. Supreme Sorceresses may be recruited to wield the lores of Fire, Dark, Shadows, Beasts and Death. They can be given Names of Power to grant them new abilities, and upgraded to ride a range of mounts, from the Dark Steed to the Cold One, Dark Pegasus, Manticore and the mighty Black Dragon.

Regiments of Renown:

Avelorn (Alaraielle)

The Scions of Mathlann (Spearmen)

• ‘Aura of Protection’ passive ability (applies a ward save to nearby units whilst mana > 50%)
• Expert Charge Defence

The Puremane Company (White Lions of Chrace)

• ‘Guardian’ passive ability
• ‘Sunder Armour’ contact effect

Keepers of the Flame (Phoenix Guard)

• Magic Attacks
• Mark of Asuryan (Entities will burst in to flames upon death and deal damage to any nearby enemies i.e. New interpretation of the Dwarf Slayer ‘Death Blow’ trait)

The Storm Riders (Lothern Sea Guard)

• Cause Fear
• Vanguard Deployment
• Fire Whilst Moving

The Grey (Shadow Warriors)

• ‘Loec’s Shroud’ ability (Increases speed and reduces the detection range significantly for enemies to spot them for the duration of the ability)
• Snipe attribute (able to fire and remain hidden)

Everqueen’s Court Guard (Sisters of Avelorn)

• Encourage
• ‘Banner of Avelorn’ ability (Increases Winds of Magic recharge rate)

The Fireborn (Dragon Princes)

• Bonus vs Large
• Fire Attacks

Heralds of the Wind (Ellyrian Reavers – Bows)

• Increased speed
• Superior melee stats

Har Ganeth (Hellebron)

The Hellebroni (Dreadspears)

• Poison Attacks
• Expert Charge Defence

Sisters of the Singing Doom (Witch Elves)

• Cause Terror

Blades of the Blood Queen (Har Ganeth Executioners)

• ‘Guardian’ passive ability
• ‘Frenzy’ passive ability

The Bolt-fiends (Darkshards – Shielded)

• ‘Shieldbreaker’ contact effect (missile hits from this unit reduce missile block chance of target)
• Additional range

Slaanesh’s Harvesters (Doomfire Warlocks)

• ‘Word of Pain’ bound spell
• ‘Soul Stealer’ bound spell

Knights of the Ebon Claw (Dread Knights)

• Does not Rampage like other Cold One units
• Murderous Prowess upgraded to Murderous Mastery

Chill of Sontar (War Hydra)

• ‘Frostbite’ Contact Effect
• ‘Fire Breath’ with ‘Frost Breath’ which deals more damage and applies the ‘Frostbite’ contact effect

Raven Heralds (Dark Riders)

• Mounted on Dark Pegasi

But this is not all. The Druchii possess a dark and powerful weapon.
When blood runs in rivers and the air is choked with Death, the chains will break and this monstrous secret will be unleashed.

Total War: Warhammer II is currently available for PC.